Meso America Flashcards
Savannah
a grassy plain in tropical and subtropical regions, with few trees
plateau
an area of relatively level high ground.
Sahara dessert
A vast desert in North Africa, extending from the Atlantic in the west to the Red Sea in the east, and from the Mediterranean and the Atlas Mountains in the north to the Sahel in the south. The largest desert in the world, it covers an area of about 9,065,000 sq. km (3,500,000 sq. miles
Bantu
relating to or denoting a group of Niger–Congo languages spoken in central and southern Africa, including Swahili, Xhosa, and Zulu.
Swahili
Bantu language widely used as a lingua franca in East Africa and having official status in several countries.
2.
a member of a people of Zanzibar and nearby coastal regions, descendants of the original speakers of Swahili.
subsistence farming
Subsistence agriculture is self-sufficiency farming in which the farmers focus on growing enough food to feed themselves and their families. The output is mostly for local requirements with little or no surplus for trade.
Mansa mvsa
Mansa is a Mandinka word meaning “sultan” (king) or “emperor”. It is particularly associated with the Keita Dynasty of the Mali Empire, which dominated West Africa from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century. Powers of the mansa included the right to dispense justice and to monopolize trade, particularly in gold.
Ghana
That empire, situated to the west of present-day Ghana, based its power on gold like its 19th-century Ashanti successor within modern Ghana’s borders.
mali
A country of western Africa. The site of several powerful states, including the Mali (flourished 14th century) and the Songhai (flourished 15th-16th century), Mali became part of French West Africa in the 19th century and achieved independence in 1960. Bamako is the capital and the largest city
Zimbabwe
The name “Zimbabwe” is variously translated from the Shona language to mean “sacred house,” “venerated houses,” “houses of stone,” “ritual seat of the king,” “court,” or “home or grave of the chief.
Timbuktu
Timbuktu (pron.: /ˌtɪmbʌkˈtuː/), also spelled as Tinbuktu, Timbuctoo and Timbuktoo (Berber: ⵜⵉⵏⴱⵓⴽⵜⵓ;French: Tombouctou; Koyra Chiini: Tumbutu), is a historical and still-inhabited city in the West African nation of Mali, situated 20 km (12 mi) north of the River Niger on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert.
Mohammed
Muhammad, which means “The Most Praised One”. It is the name of the Islamic prophet
Askia
Askia Muhammad I, born Muhammad Ture or Mohamed Toure in Futa Tooro, later called Askia, also known as Askia the Great, was an emperor, military commander, and political reformer of the Songhai Empire .
Sonni Ali
Sunni Ali, also known as Sunni Ali Ber, was born Ali Kolon. He reigned from about 1464 to 1492. Sunni Ali was the first king of the Songhai Empire, located in Africa and the 15th ruler of the Sonni dynasty.
Matrilineal
of or based on kinship with the mother or the female line.
Oral traditions
Oral tradition is information passed down through the generations by word of mouth that is not written down. This includes historical and cultural traditions, literature and law.
Trans-Saharan
Trans Saharan Trade requires travel across the Sahara (north and south) to reach sub-Saharan Africa from the North African coast, Europe, to the Levant. While existing from prehistoric times, the peak of trade extended from the 8th century until the early 17th century.
sub-Saharan
from or forming part of the African regions south of the Sahara desert.
songhai
member of a people living mainly in Niger and Mali.
2.
the Nilo-Saharan language of the Songhai.
Griot
the exclusive possession or control of the supply or trade in a commodity or service.
Diviner
of, from, or like God or a god.
“heroes
lineage
lineal descent from an ancestor; ancestry or pedigree.
Ibn Batuta
Ibn-e-Batuta literally means son of Batuta
Indian ocean
It is bounded by Asia on the north, on the west by Africa, on the east by Australia, and on the south by the Southern Ocean or, depending on definition, by Antarctica. It is named after the country of India.
